Jennifer Coolidge Just Won Her First Emmy and I’m Emotional

One of the things I'm most grateful for on this fine Emmys Monday is Jennifer Coolidge. The actor *truly* never fails to put a smile on my face, whether she's making an epic music vid cameo or is simply serving as the ultimate celebratory gif for all of my manic group chats. Ahem, observe:

And tonight, there's another reason I'm smiling: She legit just Won! Her! First! Freakin'! Emmy!!! Indeed, the White Lotus star took home the beyond-coveted award for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for the show. And though she got cut off because she was so excited (same) and wanted to thank tons of people, she got support from legit every single person in the room who happily cheered her on for her White Lotus win.

In the show, her character plays a loopy socialite who embarks on a trip to Hawaii to scatter the ashes of her recently-deceased mother. And, spoiler alert (!!), if the character kiiiind of sounds like a match made in casting heaven, that's because the comedic role was fully written with her in mind.

Admittedly depressed at the height of COVID and not feeling totally ready to jump back into acting again, Jennifer actually had to be convinced to join the cast by “a really smart, savvy, very blunt friend,” she told Variety. “I didn’t like the way I looked...But did I change it for The White Lotus 2? No! I didn’t change anything!” (P.S. Jennifer is the only major cast member to make the jump from season 1’s Hawaii resort to the show’s season 2 in Italy—with no audition needed, TYVM!) As a matter of fact, the actor felt discouraged until she ultimately had a breakthrough after beginning to film season 1. “The saddest thing about life is that you just make decisions about yourself. If I’m not getting great roles, I come to the conclusion that people think I’m incapable of that. And then I make the decision that I am incapable of that. You actually have to have a Mike White [aka the show's creator] that comes in and says, I think you can do this,” she added in her interview. ILY JENNIFER YOU DESERVE THE WORLD!

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan